The ACR Board of Directors approved the ARHP Master Designation at its August 2017 meeting. The first two ARHP Master Designation awardees will be honored at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Chicago on Oct. 20, 2018. Recognition as a Master of the ARHP is one of the highest honors that the ARHP bestows to members….
In 2010, Thomas Bartow, MD, FACP, finally ran out of excuses. Ever since high school, he had wanted to join the military. But too many things got in the way—like attending medical school at State University of New York at Stony Brook. After graduation in 1980, he performed his residency in internal medicine at Rush-Presbyterian-St….
Two decades have passed since the first biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD) was approved. Studies on the long-term use of biologics in different disease states, such as for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and malignancy, as well as for knee/hip replacement, reveal some encouraging news. In clinical trials, bDMARDs have been shown to increase the risk of…
It’s one thing for a developing country to lack physicians due to a scarcity of training. It’s quite another for such a vacuum to exist because the physicians were executed. In Cambodia in the 1970s, genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge spared few of the educated class. If they were spared, chances were they lost…
They say the body remembers what the mind wants to forget. For those who have experienced trauma, not only does the body remember, in some cases it works on making things worse. Such is the situation with trauma and lupus, says a new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology in October. The study, titled, “Association…
A number of autoinflammatory syndromes that result from genetic mutations have been described recently. The vast majority occur in children. However, three periodic fever syndromes are important for rheumatologists who treat adults to know about. The goal of this review is to provide a concise description of each condition, and to help the clinician understand…
Electronic health records, personal trackers, pedometers—all these technologies result in data, data and more data. What types of technology investments will help rheumatology practices collect and understand these data? Here are some insights into investing in technology for your practice…
All rheumatologists have observed the impact of their patients’ mental health status on the long-term treatment of rheumatologic conditions. Depression, anxiety and even loneliness can lead to poor clinical outcomes and nonadherence to treatment, whether the patient is following medication regimens or participating in regular exercise. On the other hand, a patient’s resilience and positive…
SAN DIEGO—At the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego last month, the ACR and the ARHP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. This month, The Rheumatologist speaks with the ACR winners about their individual contributions to advancing rheumatology. In coming issues, we…
The healthcare industry is currently in an era of higher copays and deductibles, and effective patient collections are critical to the financial health of practices. The front desk staff of a practice is the first area to help with patient satisfaction and the key to a healthy revenue cycle. This front desk staff must collect…